Opinion:
Is this the best hike on Hornby? If not then it must be close. It’s a fine trail that’s really enjoyable to walk with stunning views of Denman Island, the Beaufort Range on Vancouver Island, and the peaks of Strathcona Provincial Park. In spring, thousands of tiny wildflowers decorate the cliffs, while eagles and vultures soar past at eye level. Although it does go to the summit of Mount Geoffrey, there’s no view here so stopping at the second bench is the optimum turnaround spot. With two cars it would be a nice traverse to continue along the Outer Ridge trail.
Don’t do it late afternoon on a sunny summer day or the sun will be too dazzling and will veil the views. Take care as the cliffs are sheer and sometimes overhanging. Don’t get too close!
Fact
The trailhead was easy to find and had plenty of space for a dozen of more vehicles. Note there were no facilities at the trailhead or at any point on the trail.
The trail was in great shape with no mud and a wonderfully soft surface to hike on. It was loose in a few spots and there were many Douglas fir cones along the way which required a bit of care of negotiate. (Try and avoid the cones if at all possible!) Navigation was straightforward with plenty of signs as well as a clear map at the trailhead. (It’s worth taking a photo of this to bring with you.) There were two well-placed benches to sit and admire the view awhile. The final approach to Mount Geoffrey summit was blocked by a fallen tree that was straightforward to negotiate. The summit itself was a small opening in the forest with a large cairn formed of the smooth rocks from the conglomerate rock but no views.
It definitely felt like spring was under way with some glorious carpets of small-flowered blue-eyed Mary and sea blush hanging on to the cliffs, with spring gold and an unknown saxifrage mixed in. Oregon grape was plentiful and in full bloom. Vanilla leaf was leafing out near the trailhead. There were other (tiny) flowers I didn’t recognize and we spotted a couple of chocolate lilies perched precariously on the cliff edge.
In terms of wildlife we saw many bald eagles, turkey vultures, and ravens. In the forest we heard robins, chickadees, and the occasional warbler, and we spotted a garter snake by the trail. No mosquitoes! Yet.
Distance: 5.5 km
Elevation gain: 280 m
Time: 3 h 5 m
Key moments
- Watching eagles and vultures soar past at eye level
- The amazing carpets of tiny spring flowers spilling over the cliffs
- Soaking up warm spring sunshine on a bench in front of a stunning view over to the peaks of Vancouver Island
- Admiring the trees clinging onto the cliff edge even where it was eroding
- A moment up close with a calm garter snake resting on a bed of moss
- The not entirely unexpected disappointment of realizing there were no views at the summit
Story
A quick glance at a map of Hornby Island showed us many trails in the Mount Geoffrey area but it wasn’t obvious which ones would make a good hike. Thankfully, AllTrails turned up a few interesting options, and we chose this one as it seemed to have the best views based on user reports and photos. Perhaps not entirely unsurprisingly for a Monday, we found ourselves to be the only car at the trailhead on Lea Smith Road, which suited us. An obvious path led away from the parking lot to a junction with a comprehensive map of all the trails in the area. The Rainforest trail led away to the right, through a mini-avenue of fresh vanilla leaf plants, while the Cliff Trail went left, immediately climbing up a set of steep stairs.
It’s been a while since we last did a hike with any significant elevation gain. Wait – make that any elevation gain! As a result, we huffed and puffed our way up, thankful for the well-made steps, soon reaching the top of a couple of switchbacks where a sign warned descending mountain bikers to dismount. The slope eased to a more manageable gradient and we plodded upwards on the soft trail, which was liberally decorated with Douglas fir cones. Among the skinny trees on either side of us, the understory of Oregon grape glowed yellow with its cone of flowers, adding a splash of colour to the expansive greenery. Even getting this far, we felt we’d made a good choice as the hiking was easy and enjoyable.
A few spots of loose gravel had us pondering the safety of our descent but they were few and far between. We soon came to the first carpet of spring flowers, a mat of tiny – and well-named – small-flowered blue-eyed Mary covering an opening on the cliff edge. I’ve tried to photograph these minuscule flowers many times and I’ve yet to be successful. Did I do a better job today? I don’t think so, but I’ve included one or two anyway. Stretching above all the blue were a number of pink sea blush, adding more colour and contrast to this miniature garden.
With those first flowers came the first views and – wow – were they good views! Despite having to peer through a gap in the trees, and venture perilously close to the edge of the cliff, hoping that the tree we leaned on would not give way, the view was spectacular looking over part of Hornby to Denman Island and beyond to the peaks of Strathcona Provincial Park. We recognized Mount Albert Edward, gleaming white in the afternoon sun, and could see the ski resort at Mount Washington. The towns of Courtenay and Comox lay off the northern tip of Denman.
This teaser had us anticipating the rest of the hike with more views along the way and we eagerly continued along the path, admiring the blooming Arbutus trees and Douglas firs clinging to the cliff edge. The trees’ exposed roots made it clear how precarious their situation was, especially on the unstable conglomerate rock below our feet. In places we could sense that the cliffs were undercut, too, which made getting close to the edge all the more unwise.
The hiking was easy and relaxing, the sunshine was welcome and warming, while the flowers and views were a delight. We were really enjoying ourselves. Each viewpoint was better than the last, each little carpet of flowers more expansive than the last, enticing us ever onwards. We passed several junctions with connector trails to the mountain-biking trails further inland: the Cliff Trail is designated a hiking-only trail but I’m sure that’s largely a liability thing as I have no doubt that mountain bikers ride it. Today, the trail was deserted and we had it all to ourselves. Bliss!
We came to a bench in a small clearing where a few trails met and we sat down for a moment. Someone had carved the words “Not Summit Bench” into the wood, indicating that the best was yet to come. We admired the view through the trees with its terrifying sheer drop, and welcomed the shade before continuing on. It wasn’t long before we passed more views, more flowers and then reached what must be the “Summit Bench”.
Wow – what a view we had! The largest opening on the cliffs with the biggest and best view so far, almost 180 degrees from the peak of the Beaufort Range on Vancouver Island all the way up to distant mountains beyond Campbell River (thanks Peakfinder!). While we could have spent the rest of the day here, curiosity drove us onwards to the summit of Mount Geoffrey itself. The trail ducked back into the forest and descended into a cool hollow where large red cedars grew, their branches festooned in green moss and lichen, before climbing slightly again to reach the summit. We could see the cairn through the bushes but a path was nowhere to be seen until we realized we had to pick our way through the branches of a fallen tree to take those last couple of dozen steps to the top.
Was it worth it? Probably not: the summit cairn lay in a sunny clearing at the edge of a mossy bluff surrounded by forest with no views of anything further than about 20 metres, so we quickly turned around and retraced our path back to the summit bench. Now that’s more like it! We sat on the bench and basked in the warm afternoon sunshine, soaking in the views, marvelling at the eagles and vultures soaring on the thermals, often passing by at near eye-level. What a life that must be, to take to the air and soar with so little effort. We gazed at the mountains, reminiscing about our trip to Mount Albert Edward nearly ten years ago. The sea and sky were glorious shades of blue, so welcome after so many grey days.
It was too good a spot to leave, but eventually we pulled ourselves away and began our return to the car. While out-and-back trails may seem like you’re repeating yourself, we often find that we see things in a different way on the way back, and sometimes different things altogether. In this case we spotted a lone chocolate lily leaning out at 45 degrees from the cliff. Getting a clear view for a photo was a little tricky given the precipitous drop-off but I made good use of a well-placed tree to stop myself disappearing into oblivion. (Okay, it wasn’t quite that dramatic but it was still tricky.)
The hike back was even more relaxing than the way up, the wonderful soft trail just a delight. We had one more little surprise as we walked, noticing a garter snake basking on a little bed of moss right next to the trail. We stopped and I pulled out the camera, taking care not to startle it. To our amazement, the snake didn’t even flick its tongue once, remaining completely still as I took a few photos. We left it alone to continue its afternoon rest and stepped out to finish the trail, taking care to avoid the Douglas fir cones that would roll underfoot.
It wasn’t long before we reached the steps again and were soon back at the car – still the only vehicle at the trailhead. We remarked to each other how amazing the hike was, the perfect way to spend a few hours on a sunny afternoon. Given that we hadn’t even heard of this trail 24 hours earlier, we agreed that it was a terrific discovery.
So to answer my question posed in the opinion section: is this the best hike on Hornby? Of course, having done so few it’s impossible to say for sure, but based on the handful that we did, I have to say it’s right up there and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the island for a few days.
Being. Outdoors. 